Feeler mechanism for looms



Feb. 10, 1931. A. E. STAFFORD FEELER MECHANISM FOR LOOMS I Filed Nov. 13, 1929 /NI E/VTORK A TTO/P/VE Y Patented Feb. 10, 1931 UNITED STATES FATE)? T] o F cE V ALFRED. E. STAFFORD, ornornnALE, MASSACHUSETTS, Assrqnon TO :Dnernrv cortronArIoN, or HOPEDALE, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION or MAINE V FEELER nncnnnrsivi roe root/is Application filedilq'ovember 13,, 1929. Serial No. 496,800.

This invention relates to side slipping feeler mechanisms in Which the feeler arm is mounted'for movement towards and from the front of the loom and also in a direction 5 long tudinally e Shuttle- This second characteristic of the feeler or feeler arm is utilized to bring into action a train of'mechanism to efii'ec't replenishrnent of filling. T r

It has been heretofore common to provide the feeler or feeler arm with a toothed filling engaging tip usually formed of metal, a vulcanized fibre and the like; In weaving certain kinds" of filling, however, such for instance as Silk, artificial silk and rayon, the recurring contacts of the filling engaging teeth with the filling-have produced injurious effects upon the delicate threads which frequently appear in the finishedcloth by what is known as fshiners, and one of the important objects of thepresent invention is to provide a feeler tip which will not only avoid injury to the delicate filling but will side slip readily when the filling-has reached a predetermined degree of exhaustion;

, The feeler tip in the present invention is composed of layers of fabric such as canvas for instance nnpregnated with a phenolic fora given, period of time.

A feeler tip constituted condensation-product fused together by heat guished from adhesiveness, so that when the filling has reached a "predetermined degree of exhaustion the slippery. character, of the feeler tip permits the feeler to move longi- The invention and novel 'featu'resthereof will be best made from the-"following description and accompanying drawings of one good PI'aCtIC'al fOIDJ thereof.

; Inthe drawings 1, is a plan view ofa 'side'slipping and f rearend portion of the feeler arm;

Fig.5-3is a'section on th line 33 1 Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing the spring 5 normally tends to move the l V into its rearward filling position. as above stated presents a slippery "endas contra-distin- Brown and 'Repass patent.

feeler tip secured in operative position on the.

' end of the feeler arm.

' .The details of the mechanism whereby fillingreplenishment'is effected. upon side slipping movement of the feeler .is not herein shown and described because such trains ofmechanism are now, well understood and" the'details thereof form no'part of the-present'inven'tionw f I The ieeler mechanism illustrated by Fig.1 5

may be of the same. general cha'ractertas that shown anddescribed in thepatentto LarkinH.

Brown and George E. Repassf, N0.'1-,593,426, dated July 20 ,1926, and the feeler. arm ofsaid patent as shown by Fig. 1 has the n0vel-ehar- 5 acteristic feelertip of the; present invention Secured thereto.v

The i'eeler stand 1 has mounted thereon tor I "floating movement the feel'er' arm 21the'front end portion of which extends laterally-as at in 3 and the, end po'rtionbfthe laterally extend-1 ing arm 3 is adapted to engage a step lmount- -edon the feeler standg JArearwardly extend ing spring .5 is connectedat 6 withithe lateral D arm 3 of the feeler and has its rear end ports tion secured to a stud 7 formedon the feeler stand, the construction being such thatfthe feeler V Extendinglaterally from the feeler stand is the transmitter8 the end'of which extends into the feeler stand and rests'against or in close proximity to the feeler'arm2,so that on side slipping -movement' of the 'feeler the I transmitter 8 will be moved longitudinally e tudinally along the bobbin or filling carrier I underthe frontward' pressure thereof.

connectingthrough-theusual train of mech-.

; anism to initiate replenishing offilling. j The; part-so far described maybe ofthe same general character as the similarparts of the;

instance the side members 10 and 11 of the loop" are-flattened as more clearly illustrated in Figs. 2 andB, thus acting'as' a seat for the feeler; tip as will presently appear.

As herein "statedjone ofthe purposes of the present invention has been to avoid injury hausted.

to the delicate filling such as silk, artificial silk, rayon and the like by the constant recurring contacts of the feeler tip therewith and at the same time to provide for ready side slipping movement of the feeler tip longitudinally of the filling carrier or bobbin when the filling is substantially exhausted.

The feeler tip in the present invention is formed of a fabric such as canvas impregnated with'a phenolic-condensation pI'OClllC l}; while it is plastic and thereafter the impregnated fabric issubjected to pressureand heat I treatment to harden the condensation product.. A feeler tip formed generally as. described possesses certain characteristics which prevent injury tothe delicate filling on detecting beats and readily slides longitudinally along the filling carrier or bobbin surface when the filling has become substantiallyex- In accordance with the present invention the feeler tip is formed in two parts which "are adapted to house between them and en-' close the rear end or looped portion of the feeler arm. In effecting this purpose one part 12 of the feeler tip isprovided with a flange 13 which extends from the body of the part 12 and is adapted to enclose the rear endportion of the feeler loop 9 against which the inner surface of the flange 13 rests.

The second-part '14 of the feeler tip is formed generally of the same shape and con- 7 'tourjas'thatof the first part but preferably has no flange although this maybe otherwise varied. In the construction shown as one good practical. form of the invention the two parts 12 and 14 of the feeler tip are secured to the feeler loop, one above and the other below and together with the'flange 13 of the feeler tip serve to enclose and house'the loop end portionofthe feeler arm.-

i In "iew oftheslipperycharacterof the feeler tip formed as hereinbefore described of a fabric or canvas impregnated with a phenol condensation product, it is desirable that the flange portion 13 of the part 12 it be provided with aseries of filling engaging teeth 15 which are preferably arranged in the arc of a circle, while the otherpart 14 of the feeler tip is similarly provided with a series j ofteeth 16 which coordinatewith the teeth 15 of the part 12 when the members-of thefeeler in Fig. 4. I I V I When the members of the feeler tip are to be' secured in operative position to house the tip arejina'ssembled relation as indicated end of the feeler arm loop, one of the parts is placed above and the other below the loop 9 and fastening devices are passed through each of the parts of the feeler ti'pland-the opening of theloop 9 as clearly indicated sockets 24. of one part of the feeler tip to I 7 thereby prevent catching of filling or lint during weaving. Theopposite end portion of the studs 17, 18 isupset as indicated at 25 Fig. 3, the construction being such that the two parts of the feeler tip are secured in operative position on the flattened loop portion of the feeler arm with the inner surface of the'flan'ge 13'resting against the end portion of the feeler arm loop and one of the studs 18 as shown: rests against the inner surface of the rear. portion of the feeler arm loop, the result being thatithe two members;

of the feeler housejand enclose thefeeler arm loop" and are prevented from slipping move- I ment by one of the studs as 18 on the one hand and the rear portion of the loop on theother. The invention is not necessarily limited to the particular means for securing the two parts of .the feeler tip to the feeler arm asdifferent forms of securing means may be readily suggested by one skilled inthe art.

What is claimed is 1 '1. In a" feeler mechanism for; loomsgythe combination ofa feeler stand, a-feeler arm mounted upon the feeler stand forside slipping movement a filling engaging tip formed of a fabric impregnated witha phenolic condensation'product hardened by heat treatment and'scured'to the end of the feeler arm,

and a series of teeth out transversely of the filling enga 'ng tip and possessing a slippery fillingenga'ging surface.

2. In a feeler mechanism for combination of a-feeler stand. a feeler arm mounted upon the feeler stand for side slip ping movement, and a two part-filling engaging tip formed of a fabric impregnated, with a phenol condensation having a series of filling engaging teeth that the slippery character of the teeth may enable the feeler to readily side slip when-the filling is sub- 'stantially exhausted. I i

' 3. A feeler arm mounted forside slipping movement by thefrontward pressure thereon and having a' two part fillingiengaging tip formed of canvas. impregnated with a phenol condensation product.- oneiofsaid parts hav-i ing a'flange' for-housing the rear end ofthe feeler arm and provided with a series of'filllooms, the

ing engaging teeth and m'eansfor securing the two part tip upon the end of the feeler arm. i 4. A feeler arm mounted for side slipping movement by the frontward pressure thereon, r

and having a looped rear end portion. atwo part filling engaging. tip each formed of fabric impregnated With'a phenol condensame tion product, one of said parts having a flange, the inner surface of which rests against the rear of the feeler armloop and the outer surface of which flange is provided with teeth, and meansfor securing the two I parts of the tip together, one above and on below the feeler arm loop.

5. A feeler arm mounted for sideslipping movement and having a looped rear end portion, a two part filling engaging tip formed of canvas impregnated with a phenol con-' densation product, one of said parts having a curved flange in rear of the feeler arm loop,

and means for securing the two parts of the 'bakelized canvas tip together in housing'rela tion with the feeler arm loop.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name tothis specification. V

I ALFRED ESTAFFORD, 

